Word: nuoc
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...fish still have their eyes and tails," he says, turning over a soupy mixture between his fingers. "But they'll all decompose soon enough, don't worry." Descending, he springs to another wooden vat and turns a valve, filling a snifter with a warm amber liquid. This is prized nuoc mam, fermented for more than a year. Bang holds the liquid up to the light, swirls it around, takes a sniff of the pungent bouquet, puts the glass to his lips-and gives a satisfied smile...
...Distilled fish remains might not strike everyone as a culinary delight, but don't tell that to Bang or anyone else on Phu Quoc Island. The spry septuagenarian is Phu Quoc's undisputed master taster of nuoc mam, the fermented fish sauce that is the heart of Vietnamese cuisine. This tiny island off the southern coast is famed for producing the best nuoc mam in the world. Nearly half of Phu Quoc's economy is dependent on nuoc mam, with 90 family-owned factories producing 10 million liters a year and passing their secrets down from generation to generation...